TRENTON, N.J. ? After winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) regular season title and qualifying for the MAAC Tournament for the seventh consecutive year, the Manhattan College baseball team was well-represented when the MAAC handed out its postseason honors at the annual awards banquet on Wednesday night. Eight Jaspers were named to the All-MAAC squad, led by junior left-handed pitcher Mike Gazzola, who was selected MAAC Pitcher of the Year by the league's nine head coaches. Head Coach Kevin Leighton was also recognized by his peers, taking home Anaconda Sports MAAC Coach of the Year honors.
Gazzola enters the MAAC Tournament with a 6-1 record and a 4.48 ERA. He held opponents to a .263 batting average and tossed three complete games during the regular season. The southpaw was named MAAC Pitcher of the Week on March 16 after yielding just two runs in a complete game win over Temple. He pitched another complete game against Marist on April 4, giving up just three runs and four hits while striking out eight. Manhattan is 10-2 this season when Gazzola gets the start.
Leighton guided the Jaspers to their fourth consecutive 30-win campaign and first-ever outright MAAC regular season title this season. He has won 30 games in each of his four seasons as head coach and led Manhattan to the MAAC Tournament each time. The Jaspers won the MAAC Championship in 2006, Leighton's first season at the helm. This is his first MAAC Coach of the Year selection.
Gazzola was one of a league-high four Jaspers named to the All-MAAC First Team. He was joined on the First Team by sophomore outfielder Mike McCann, junior outfielder Kevin Nieto and junior designated hitter Anthony Armenio.
McCann had a breakout sophomore campaign, shattering the program's single-season record with 85 hits. He has started all 50 games and leads the Jaspers with a .407 batting average. McCann ranks among the top five in the MAAC in average, hits, RBIs (58), runs scored (65), on-base percentage (.484), doubles (17) and total bases (143).
A Preseason All-MAAC pick, Nieto was named to the All-MAAC First Team for the second consecutive season. He is currently hitting .406 and is tied for the team lead with 13 home runs. Nieto leads the NCAA in runs scored per game (1.6), and he set a new school record with 70 runs scored this season. He also leads the Jaspers with six triples and ranks third with 54 RBIs.
Armenio paces the MAAC with 61 RBIs and 21 doubles, which ties the single-season school record. He is also tied for the conference lead with 37 walks. Armenio boasts a .314 batting average, .569 slugging percentage, and .438 on-base percentage.
Manhattan also had four players selected to the All-MAAC Second Team: sophomore first baseman Austin Sheffield, senior infielder Ruben Perez, sophomore third baseman Chad Salem and sophomore outfielder Mark Onorati. The eight All-MAAC selections tied Canisius for most in the conference.
Sheffield started all 50 games and currently ranks second on the team with two triples. He is hitting .357 with six home runs and 46 RBIs. Perez, who is currently hitting a career-high .406, is third in the MAAC with 82 hits. The current MAAC Co-Player of the Week, he ranks second in the MAAC with 20 doubles. Salem hit .378 with eight home runs and 43 RBIs during the regular season. He has scored 51 runs and leads the MAAC with six sacrifice flies. Onorati, a Preseason All-MAAC selection, was named to the All-MAAC Second Team for the second straight season. The only two-time MAAC Player of the Week this season, he ranks third in the conference with 63 runs scored. Onorati is hitting .362 with five home runs, 53 RBIs, 76 hits and 15 doubles during the regular season.
In addition, Manhattan had three players selected to the MAAC All-Academic Team. Perez was recognized for his work in the classroom, as were junior pitchers Tom Costigan and Tom Moran. To be eligible for the All-Academic squad, student-athletes must have completed at least two semesters at their institution and have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.
The top-seeded Jaspers (34-16, 18-6 MAAC) open the MAAC Tournament against Rider (26-21, 14-10 MAAC) on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. from Waterfront Park in Trenton. Manhattan then takes on either Canisius (33-20, 16-8 MAAC) or Marist (28-25, 15-9 MAAC) in the second round of the double-elimination event on Friday.
